Make the Most of Your Cottage Renovations
Is your beach house, Craftsman bungalow or vintage cottage in need of some TLC? If so, we’re hoping these cottage remodeling ideas will help you make the most of your cottage renovations.
Prioritize Your Most Important Cottage Renovation Projects
When renovating a vintage home, there’s an important caveat to keep in mind. Aesthetics aren’t the most important part of this sort of project. When you’re remodeling an older home, the structural and safety issues are at least as important as the home’s décor and style.
A home inspector, preferably one with a background as a structural engineer, can help you uncover any hidden structural problems with the cottage. If you would be unlikely to discover structural issues on your own, this is a worthwhile investment to consider.
A home inspector can give you feedback about the status of all your cottage’s major systems and potential problem areas. A home inspection could uncover fire hazards, roof damage, damaged HVAC fixtures, insulation issues, decrepit wiring, or termite problems. If you find substantial damage in these areas, it’s advisable to prioritize them when you decide how to spend your renovation budget.
Invest in a Home Energy Audit
It can really pay off to have your cottage’s energy consumption professionally assessed and audited. A home energy audit is likely to reveal areas specific to your cottage that you can focus on to make it more energy efficient. Increased energy efficiency will result in lower utility bills, which can offset your renovation costs substantially in the long term.
Cottage Renovations Offering Significant Return on Investment
If your cottage renovations are motivated by a desire to sell the property for the best possible price, it’s worthwhile to consider some of the renovations that have provided the best return on investment for other homeowners in the recent past. A few of these include:
- Replacing old entry doors with new steel or fiberglass entry doors
- Adding a garage
- Replacing the existing garage doors
- Fixing up the exterior by replacing worn vinyl siding, or installing manufactured stone veneer
- Replacing outdated kitchen counters with granite countertops
- Adding a composite or wood deck
- Remodeling the bathroom
- Remodeling the kitchen
- Refinishing damaged hardwood floors
Updating the Cottage’s Style and Look
A vintage home doesn’t necessarily need to adhere to the most current trends, or even look remotely trendy. A large part of a cottage’s charm is its vintage appeal. However, many homeowners prefer to incorporate a mix of the new and the old into their cottages’ interior design schemes.
Refreshing tired paint colors can work wonders for making a vintage cottage feel fresh and updated. Replacing damaged tile is another simple task that accomplishes this goal. New kitchen and bath fixtures can rejuvenate these rooms and increase their efficiency.
These are just a few ideas for making the most of your cottage renovations. We hope these ideas will help guide you when you decide which renovation projects to tackle and help you end up with a fresh new look for your cottage.
